Home buyers follow camera

A local realty photographer has been rushed off her feet and even followed around by buyers eager to beat the queue as competition to snap up a home in Rotorua heats up.

Figures released yesterday by the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) reveal Rotorua house sales have risen by 114 per cent this January as compared to January 2015 with 109 houses sold compared to 51.

Deanna Onan is the Open2view representative and photographer of homes going on the market in Rotorua and Taupo.

She said in the 13 years she had worked here it was the busiest she has ever seen it.

"I've had a couple of cars follow me around to see where I'm going to photograph next and I have to tell them I'm not a realtor so I can't give them any information.